Extensible case.



PA'I'BNTBD SEPT. 22, 1903.

B. G. SOHRIBFER. EXTENSIBLE CASE. APPLIGATION FILED FEB. a. 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

NO MODEL.

WTWW. s s e me uanms PETERS cm mu'roumm WASHING No. 739,725. M PATBNTEDSEPT. 22, 190.3.

E. G. scamrm- EXTENSIBLE CASE.

APPLICATION FILED 1'53. 3. 1003.

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Mac/M PATENTED SEPT. 22, 1903. B. e. SCHRIEI'ER. BXTENSIBLE CASE.APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3, 1902.

a SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N0 MODEL.

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vim-ma 114: means mivgs w. Pm'rcarmu I I UNiTED STATES PatentedSeptember 22, 1903.

PATENT OEEicE.

EXTENSIBLEFCASE.

$2ECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,725, datedSeptember 22,v 1903. Application filed February 3, 1902. erial No.92,460. (No model.)

To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD G. SCHRIEFER a citizen of the United States,residing at Oincinnati, in the county 0f-Hamilton and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Extensible Cases,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to extensible cases such, for instance, asbookcases-and has for its object the providing of a case which may bebuilt up section by section and in which the shelves may be suitablyplaced to desired positions without regard to the division-lines of thesections; and my invention consists in providing an extensible caseadapted to be extended or built up section on section, so as to providean unobstructed interior'within the built-up case, in which shelves maybe placed at desired points to form compartments either within acase-section or lapping over into aneighboring case-section; inproviding a case-section constructed as a unit having a back and sideswithout top or hottom constructed and arranged for permitting a shelf tobe passed up and down therethrough; further, in providing means in acase of the character described for preventing sidewise displacement orbulging of the sides of sections, and in providing a case of thecharacter described with shelf-strips for supporting the shelvesoverlapping the division-lines of the sections of the case, and,further, in the parts and in the construction, arrangement, andcombinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Reference is respectively made to my applicationsfierialNos.92, i61,92,462,.and92A63, filed February 3, 1902, in which the case section orunit comprising a back and sides without top or bottom is shown,described, and claimed in other particulars.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved devicewith its top removed. improved device with the doors removed,

showing the interior of the case and showing parts broken away forbetter illustration; Fig. 3 is a detail on the linear; mof Fig. 1. Fig.e is a front elevation of the shiftingmechanism of the hanging devicefor the door with the front plate of its casing partly broken away andthe door shown partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my- Fig. 5 is a plan view of the samesimilarly shown, showing also the connection between the hanging deviceand the side of the case in section on the line 3 y 01 Fig. 6. Fig. 6 isa detail in side elevation, partly broken away andpartly in section,illustrating the connection between the door-hanging device and side ofthe case. Fig. 7 is an end elevation showing the meeting ends betweenthe doors. Fig. '8 is a detail, partly in section,

showing the means fol-securing the shelf-strip tothe case. Fig. 9 isadetail, partly in section, showing the means for securing the sectionstogether sidewise; and Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a case-sectionand shelf therefor, also showing a shelf above and below thecase-section in dotted lines to indi- 'cate that shelves may be passedthrough the case-section while the top and bottom of the shelf aremaintained in substan tiallyhorizontal planes.

A represents a section of .a case. B is its bottom, and 0 its top. Eachsection, has a back 1 and sides 2, preferably close in construction forarresting d ust. Each section is constructed as a unit and may behandled tive position between sections in assembling a case. The back ofthe sections may have plane top or bottom edges or may also be providedwith interlocking joints of suitable construction.

Suitable sectional shelf-strips 11 12 are provided for eachsectiompiet'erably of alength to correspond with the height of thesection. They may extend below the section to which they are secured, soas to take beyond the meeting edges of the sections into the sectionimmediately below, as shown at 14. When the section has been put intoplace, the shelfstrips may be secured to the neighboring section insuitable manner.

When the shelf-strips overlap neighboring case-sections, they form meansfor holding.

placement or bulging, although it is obvious that other means may beemployed for that purpose. The shelf-strips may be secured to the uppersection before or after the sections have been put into place. I preferto make this connection between the shelf-strips and the sections bymeans ofascrew 15,taking through a washer 16in the shelf-strip and intoa thimble 17, secured to the case-section.

A composite case is formed by a bottom unit and a top unit, with a casesection or sections placed in position between the same, the case whenassembled having an unobstructed interior and permitting a shelf to bepassed up and down therethrough while maintained in substantially itsnormal horizontal position, the case-sectionsbeing so constructed byhaving a back and sides without top or bottom that a shelf may be passedup and down therethrough with its top and bottom maintained insubstantially horizontal planes, as indicated in Fig.'10, in which theshelf is shown in normal position ata and in positions I) a above andbelow the case-section, such as it would assume in being passed throughthe case-section.

Immediately in front of the shelf-strips 12 I provide the sides of thesections with a longitudinal groove 21, adapted to receive a shoe 22 ofthe door-hanging device. The groove may have a U-shaped plate 25therein, provided with a roughened or toothed backing 26, the shoe 22having a corresponding contact-surface 27 for contacting therewith.

Each section is preferably provided with a door 31, which may be adaptedto slide longitudinally of the case by having the shoe 22 slide in theplates 25 and to be positioned by having the shoe 22 make contact withthe plates 25 for the purpose hereinafter explained. therefrom iseffected by means of ashifting device for throwing the shoe into and outof engagement with the plates. In the form shown I connect the shoe 22with rods 32, turning in the shoe, so that the door may swing. The rodsat one end may take through thimbles 33, longitudinal channels 34 beingprovided in the door for the rods. A rack 35 is at the inner end-of eachrod, the racks being meshed by gears 36 37, a pinion 38 meshing with thegear 36 and a gear 39 meshing with the pinion 38 and gear 37. The gearsare hung in a casing 41, taking into a mortise 42 in the back of thedoor, the rods taking through openings 43 in the ends of the casing. Thetop of-Lhe casing forms a lug 44 for keeping the racks in mesh with thegears. The shaft 45 of the gear 39 extends forwardly to receive athumb-piece 46 for turning the gears in either direction, so as to forcethe shoes against the plates at the side or release their contact. Thegear 39 has ratchetteeth 47, engaging corresponding teeth 48 on a plate49, hanging upon pins 50, to prevent its turning and to permit movementto and from the gear, the plate being forced toward This engagingcontact or release the gearby a spring or springs 51, thereby lockingthe rods in the position into which they may have been placed by theturning of the thumb-piece 46. The thumb-piece 46maybecountersunkintoarecess52. Catches may be secured near the lowerends of the doors, the bolts 56 of which are adapted to snap into thegrooves of the plates 25 for securing the door and may be forcedinwardly by thumb-pieces 57 against the pressure of springs 58.

Shelf-rests 61 may be placed at desirable points along the length of theshelf-strips 11 12 for supporting shelves 62 without regard to themeeting points of the sections of the case to form a compartment eitherwithin a given case-section or extending beyond neighboringcase-sections. In order that books or other articles in a compartmenttraversed by the hung end of the door may be readilyiaccessible, Iprovide the means hereinbefore explained for raising and lowering thedoor slidingly in the grooves. Stops 63 are provided in the grooves,against which the shoes 22 may strike when returning the door to properposition, so as to correctly position the door. I prefer to secure thesestops in the lower ends of the grooves of a given section, so that theshoes of the door may be slid into their grooves from the top and soprovide the least labor and greatest convenience for the user.

In my improved device the sections may be superimposed to desirableheight, and if it is desired to extend the case sidewise the tiers ofsections may be secured together, as by means of bolts 65, takingthrough washers 66 and through an opening in one side of one section andinto thimbles 67 in the side of the neighboring section. When closed,the door preferably takes against the outer edges of the shelf-strips12, the upper edge of the door being preferably rounded, as shown at 71,to provide for its swinging without obstruction, the outer part of thelower edge of the door next above being similarly rounded, as shown at72, with a cushion 73 between the doors. The inner part of the loweredge of the door is cutaway, as shown at 74, to permit of the door beingswung. The outer side of the door near its upper edge has a longitudinalrecess 75 for accommodating the lower outer edge of the door next above.

I claim 1. In an extensible case, the combination of a case-sectionconstructed as a unit and comprising a back and sides and being open attop and bottom, with means attached to said sides for supporting andpermitting adjustment of a shelf at various heights in said casesection,and a shelf arranged to be passed up and down entirely through saidcase-section.

2. In an extensible case, the combination of a case-section constructedas a unit and comprising a back and two sides and being open at top andbottom and having an interior constructed and arranged for permitting aICS .7 while the top and bottom of the shelf are maincase-sectionsconstructed as units and eachtained in substantially horizontalplanes,with means comprising strips of substantially the height of saidsides secured to said sides for adjustably supporting a shelf at variousheights in said case-section, and a shelf arranged to be passed up anddown entirely through said case-section.

I 3. In an extensible case, the combination of a case-section comprisinga back and two sides and being open at top and bottom, a shelf therefor,means for adjustably supporting the shelf in the section, andconstructed and arranged for permitting the shelf to be passed entirelythrough the section up and down while the top and bottom of the shelfare maintained in substantially horizontal planes. 4. In an extensiblecase, the combination of casesections constructed as units andcomprising a back and sides and being open at top and bottom, shelves,means in the sections for supporting the shelves, atop unit, and abottom unit, forming a case, all constructed and arranged for permittinga shelf to be passed throughout the inside of the ease up and down whilethe top and the bottom of the shelf are maintained in substantiallyhorizontal planes, and constructed and arranged for permittingcase-sections to be placed and interchanged at various elevations in thecase.

- 5. In an extensible case, the combination of comprising a back andsides and having openended top and bottom and arranged to be placed oneon top of the other with upper and lower edges of respective sidesmeeting each other when so placed and forming a continuous interiorthroughout which a shelf may be passed up and downwithoutobstruotion,-shelves, means arranged to be attached to each sideof each case-section for adj ustahly supporting shelves at variousheights throughout the combined interior formed by the case-sections,said case-sections arranged to be placed as an entirety interchangeablyat various elevations for forming a case having the said continuousinterior, and means for holding the sides of the case sections againstsidewise displacement irrespective of the height at which said severalcase-sections may be placed in said case.

6. In an extensible case, the combination of case-sections constructedas units and comprising a back and sides and having openended topandbottom, a shelf, means in the sections for supporting the shelf, atop unit and a. bottom unit, forming a case, all constructed andarranged for permitting a shelf to be passed throughout the inside ofthe case 7 placed as an entirety at various elevations in said case.

7. In an extensible case, the combination of case-sections comprising aback and sides and being open at top and bottom, means forinterlockingsaid case-sections, said sections being constructed and arranged forforming an extensible case with unobstructed interior by placing thecase-sections so constructed as units one upon another and locking thesame together at the sides, with a top and bottom unit, and shelves forthe case, and means for ad j ustably positioning the shelves at anydesirable height throughout the case, said case-sections arranged to beplaced as an entirety at various elevations in said case, substantiallyas described.

8. In an extensible case, the combination of case-sections comprising aback and sides and having open top and bottom, with interlocking devicesfor the case-sections for forming a case with continuous unobstructedinterior, shelves for the case, and means for adjustably securing theshelves to suitable position throughout the case, forformingunobstructed compartments within the case without regard to themeeting lines of sections, and a door for each section, swinging devicesfor the doors, with means for adjust-' ably positioning the swingingdevices with relation to the case-sections for droppingthe doorslongitudinally of the case. upon their swinging devices andadjustablypositioning the same for exposing any compartment withoutreference to the normal position of either shelves or doors,substantially as described.

9. In an extensible case, the combination of case-sections arranged tobe placed one above another for forming a continuous unobstructedinterior, with shelf strip sections which overlap case-sections, withshelves arranged to be placed within the case at suitable points 7 v forforming compartments either within a particular case-section oroverlapping case-sections, substantially as described.

10. In an extensible case, the combination,

with a top and a bottom unit, of case-sections formed as unitscomprising a back and sides and having open-ended top and bottomarranged to be placed one upon another, with a locking device for firmlyuniting the side of a section with the side of the section above thesame at each side of the case for forming a case having a continuousunobstructed interior, a shelf and means arranged to be secured to saidsides for adjustably securing the shelf at any desirable height forforming a continuous unobstructed compartment v either Within acase-section or overlapping case-sections, substantially as described. I

11, In an extensible case, the combination, with a top and a bottomunit, of case-sections formed as units and comprising a back and sidesand being open-ended at top and bottom, with locking device for firmlyuniting superposed sides of superposed Seas at each side of the case forforming a case having a continuous unobstructed interior, with shelvesand means for securing the same for forming a continuous unobstructedcompartment either within a case-section or overlapping superposedcase-sections, and a door arranged to swing, with a hanging devicetherefor hung between and sliding longitudinally of the side of thecase-section for exposing a compartment within a case section when hungand swung in normal position and exposing a compartment overlappingsuperposed case-sections when hung in abnormal position, substantiallyas described.

12. In an extensible case, the combination, with a top and a bottomunit, of case-sections comprising aback and sides and being openended attop and bottom, and interlocking devices between the case-sections forseparately connecting together the sides of the case-sections at eachside'o-f the case when placed one upon another, said case-sections beingconstructed and arranged for forming an extensible case with continuousunobstructed interior, shelves for the case, means for adjustablypositioning the shelves at any desirable height throughout the case forforming unobstructed compartments between adjacent shelves irrespectiveof the position of the shelves, said case sections being constructedandarranged for being interchanged at various heights in the extensiblecase, substantially as described.

13. In an extensible case, the combination, with a top unit and a bottomunit, of casesections constructed as units and comprising a back andsides but open-ended at top and bottom, constructed and arranged forforming an extensible case with continuous unobstructed interior,shelves for the case, 4 means for adjustably positioning the shelves atany desirable height throughout the case for forming unobstructedcompartments between adjacent shelves irrespective of the position ofmeeting joints between case-sections, with said case-sectionsconstructed and arranged to be placed as an entirety interchangeably atvarious elevations in said extensible case. X

14. In an extensible case, the combination of a door, with means forpermitting the sliding of the door longitudinally of the case forarresting the sliding movement at desirable points lengthwise of thecase, and means for swingingly supporting the door slidable with thedoor whereby it may be swung upon its supportsin its arrested position,substantially as described.

15. In an extensible case, the combination of a door hung between andslidable'longitudinally of the sides of the case, with shoes between thedoor and side of the case for forming the hanging contact for the door,means for forming and releasing the said contact at points at the limitand intermediate of the limit of the said slidable movement of the door,meansforpermitting the swinging of the door upon its hanging contactdevice,and arranged for adjusting the door longitudinally of the sidesof the case and permitting the swinging of the door in' it's adj ustedposition, substantially as described.

16. In an extensible case, the combination of independent superposedcase-sections, of shelf-strip sections connected to one case-section andoverlapping the next case-section and detachably secured thereto, saidshelfstrip sections constituting continuations of each other throughoutthe case, independently-movable shelves in the case, and means forconnecting said shelves to the shelf-strip sections at difierent pointsthereof, whereby the shelves can be held at various vertical elevations.

17. The combination with a case,- of adoor therefor swinging on asubstantially horizontal axis, and means for securing the door atvarious desirable heights on said case.

18. In an extensible case, the combination of case-sections comprising aback and sides and being open at top and bottom, shelves for thecase-sections, and means for adj ustably securing the shelves tosuitable position throughout the case -sections for forming compartmentseither within acase-section or overlapping case-sections and a door fora case-section swinging on a substantially horizontal axis, and meansfor securing the door at various heights on said case-section.

19. In an extensible case, the combination of case-sections, comprisinga back and sides and being constructed with open top and bottom, meansfor connecting said case-sections for holding said sides againstsidewisedisplacement, said sections being constructed and arranged forforming an extensible case with unobstructed interior by placing thecase-sections so constructed as units one upon another and connectingthe same at the sides of said sections, with a top and bottom unit, andshelves for the case, and means for adjustably positioning the shelvesat various desirable heights throughout the case, with case-sectionsarranged for being interchanged in height in said extensible case.

20. In an extensible case, the combination of case-sections comprising aback and sides and having open top and bottom, means extending up anddown between the sections at each side thereof for holding said sidesagainst sidewise displacement, said sections'being' for hinged betweenthe vertical planes of extension of the side faces of a side of saidcasesection, with a shelf arranged to be passed up and down entirelythrough said case-section and means for supporting the shelf at variousheights in said case-section,

22. In an extensible case, the combination of case-sections eachcomprising a back and sides but having open top and bottom for forming acontinuous interior when said casesections are placed one upon another,shelfstrips for the sides of each case-section of substantially theheight of said case-section and arranged for forming substantiallycontinuous shelf-strips when said case-sections are arranged one uponanother, with shelves, and means engaging said shelf-strips forsupporting said shelves.

23. In an extensible case, the combination with a top unit and a bottomunit, of casesections constructed as units and each comprising a backand sides and being open at top and bottom and constructed and arrangedto be placed one on top of the other for forming acombined case with thetop and bottom units having an interior continuous throughout thecase-sections throughout which a shelf may be passed up and down,shelves, adjustable shelf-supporting means in each case-sectioncomprising strips of substantially the height of said case-section, thestrips in the several case-sections forming substantially continuousstrips of substantially the comblned height of said case-sections placedone above another, said case-sections with their strips arranged to beplaced and interchanged at various heights. I I

24. In combination an extensible case comprising a top section, abase-section, and a series of case-sections, said case-sections eachconstructed as a unit and comprising a back and sides and being open attop and bottom,

forming an extensible case having a continuous interior, a shelfarranged to be passed up and down entirely through the case-section,with means arranged to be secured to said sides for supporting the shelfat various heights in the case-section, said case-sections arranged tobe placed as an entirety interchangeably at various elevations in theextensible case.

25. In combination an extensible case comprising a top section, abase-section, and a series of case-sections, said case-sections eachconstructed as a unit and comprising a back and sides and being open attop and bottom, for forming an extensible case having a continuo usinterior, a shelf arranged to be passed up and down entirely through acase-section, with means arranged to be secured to said sides forsupporting the shelf at various heights in the case-section, said meansforming substantially continuous shelf-supporting means throughout thevarious case-sections when the latter are superposed, said case-sectionsarranged to be selectively placed at various elevations in theextensible case.

26. In an extensible case, the combination of case-sections arranged oneabove another,

constructed as units and comprising a back and sides without top orbottom, with shelves for the sections, and means for positioning theshelves at various heights in the sections for forming unobstructedcompartments between adjacent shelves Within a case-section oroverlapping case-sections.

I In witness whereof I have signed my name hereto in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

EDWARD G. SGHRIEFER.

Witnesses:

ERNEST G. SIMON,

HERBERT F. HARDEN.

